Dein erstes Forum » We obviously need the points

MINSK, Belarus -- In winning its group at the world hockey championship, Team Canada beat goaltenders Jan Laco, Jakub Kovar, Patrick Galbraith, Daniel Bellissimo, Anders Nilsson and Steffen Soberg. Custom Atlanta Hawks Jerseys Cheap . None of them are Finlands Pekka Rinne, who stands as Canadas biggest challenge in Thursdays quarter-final round. Even while a young Finnish team has struggled with penalties, turnovers and a lack of offensive depth, Rinne has been a rock with a 1.65 goals-against average, .929 save percentage and two shutouts. "Pekka is our most important player -- absolutely," coach Erkka Westerlund said Wednesday. "We built our whole system so that goalkeeping is No. 1, and then we try to build the strength (of) defence in front of him. Thats how it is, (how) hockey works." Westerlund said he was not yet satisfied with his teams defensive play but expects improvement. Even if that doesnt happen, Finland has a good chance in Canada if for no other reason than Rinne. Fortunately for the Finns, Rinne is not experiencing any injury problems after missing four months of the Nashville Predators season with a hip infection. Naturally, it took a while for him to get back to feeling right. "Its a process, and I think even when I came here (to Minsk) I thought that hopefully I can improve all the time and I didnt maybe feel 100 per cent," Rinne said. "But now I do, and Im really happy and I feel like my game has been getting better and (Im) just feeling more comfortable." Rinne is playing with confidence and instilling it in his teammates, only six of whom are back from the Sochi Olympics, where Finland won a bronze medal. Tuukka Rask and Kari Lehtonen were the goalies then, but as former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Leo Komarov pointed out, the best thing about his country is knowing there will always be great goaltending. Still, this isnt the Olympics. "Its a different roster, its a different tournament," said Komarov, who repeated his desire to return to the NHL last season. "Its a new day, a new life." But the same, old, reliable Rinne. Canadian defenceman Ryan Ellis knows all about that from parts of three seasons as a Predators teammate of Rinnes. Unlike a lot of other goaltenders, Ellis said Rinne doesnt let game action detract from his practices. "Every day, every practice its like a game," Ellis said. "He tries so hard in net in practice. I remember by first couple years there, I dont think I scored him in the first 10 or 15 practices. And then every time I did, I was pretty impressed with myself, pretty happy." Ellis said Canada was less concerned with how they were going to score on Rinne and more worried about his puck-handling thwarting attack time. "Hes active back there with the puck, so I think the biggest thing that were focused on is keeping the pucks away from him on dumps and stuff," Ellis said. "He gets out to play them a lot. Getting them in the glass and try to get them out of his reach." Thats especially important to a Canadian team that tries to play a hard, North American style on the bigger, international ice surface. Canada has succeeded at holding on to the puck to create chances and through seven games has averaged 34 shots a game. The strategy against Rinne is the same as many other elite goaltenders. "Were going to have to get pucks and traffic to the net," Ellis said. "Its tough for goalies when they get that kind of presence in front of him. Weve got some big guys, so hopefully we can get those guys going." Whether that happens or Rinne keeps rolling will go a long way to determining whether Canada has a date with the United States or Czech Republic in Saturdays semifinals. Westerlund said the Finns "dont have pressure (because) we are underdogs." Thats true. But Rinne still displays big-game confidence. "Im feeling good and Ive been enjoying hockey," Rinne said. "I think thats the biggest thing, when youre just having fun and just letting it go. Just dont think about anything, just play, and I feel like Ive been doing that." Custom Basketball Jerseys Online .Y. - Terry and Kim Pegula have no immediate plans to tinker with their new NFL team. Custom Basketball Jerseys Outlet . -- Patrick Kueng of Switzerland was nearly flawless as he captured his first World Cup and halted Aksel Lund Svindals streak of four straight super-G victories on Saturday. http://www.basketballcustomjerseys.com/ . The 31-year-old Russian dominated the No. 3-ranked Ferrer throughout, breaking the defending champion and local favourite four times on the indoor hard court.ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Two days before Anaheim visits the Los Angeles Kings for their high-profile showcase under the stars, the Ducks showed theyre willing to get just as gritty as their rivals to grind out a win. Patrick Maroon scored the tiebreaking goal on a wraparound late in the second period, and the Ducks beat the Kings 2-1 on Thursday night in the prelude to the clubs landmark outdoor game this weekend. Frederik Andersen made 30 saves and Dustin Penner scored a power-play goal in the 20th victory in 23 games for the NHL-leading Ducks, who dialed down their high-octane offensive game and matched the Kings usual grit in a hard-hitting, bad-tempered meeting. Offence was scarce when the Southern California clubs warmed up for their visit to Dodger Stadium on Saturday, and the high-scoring Ducks didnt mind at all. "We can play any style," Ducks defenceman Ben Lovejoy said. "We can play with speed teams because we have that speed and skill, and we can match up with the big, physical teams like L.A. I dont think we beat them at their own game. I think we imposed the kind of game we wanted in the second and third." After a scoreless third period, Anaheim improved to 21-1-2 at Honda Center two days after its first home regulation loss. The Ducks are rolling into the first warm-weather outdoor game in NHL history with a five-point lead over Chicago in the overall standings and a 17-point margin over third-place Los Angeles in the Pacific Division. A few minor skirmishes in the third period suggested tempers will run high in the rematch -- exactly the NHLs intention in scheduling back-to-back meetings. The Kings and Ducks will hold separate workouts Friday on the new rink in the middle of the historic baseball park. "Theres nothing we see out of them that we dont already know," Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf said. "Theyre a good, strong team that plays physical hockey ... but we can play that, too." Anze Kopitar scored early in the first period and Jonathan Quick stopped 19 shots for the Kings, who have lost four straight. Los Angeles hasnt won since officials in Detroit blew the call on an obviously illegal tying goal by Niklas Kronwalll in an eventual shootout loss to the Red Wings last Saturday. Custom Basketball Jerseys China. . "I think everybody in this room knows we can and weve got to play better," Kopitar said. "So the pressure is a little bit bigger, for sure, but were going to get through this together. ... In the third, it was more like us -- pressing, puck possession, spending time in their zone. But we came up short. Its something we have to learn from. We cant give up soft goals and easy goals." Just 3:13 into this meeting, Kopitar ended a personal 10-game goal drought when the Ducks left him alone near the net to bang home a cross-ice pass for his 14th goal. Kopitar is the only NHL player on Slovenias first Olympic hockey team, and he leads the Kings in scoring for the seventh consecutive season. Neither team mounted much offence in the first 30 minutes, but Penner hurt his former teammates by shoving home a rebound 10 seconds into another power play late in the second period. Penner scored 11 goals in parts of three seasons with the Kings before scoring 12 goals already this season for the Ducks, who re-signed him last summer. Maroon then put the Ducks ahead, forcing a bad pass by Willie Mitchell before getting the puck down low and wrapping it around for his fourth goal -- just his second since late October. "Weve got to try to take a few positives out of tonight and come back Saturday," Kings forward Trevor Lewis said. "We obviously need the points more than they do. After a loss like this, you always want to get right back after them, so its good that weve got them again in two days." Until Winnipegs 3-2 victory on Tuesday snapped the Ducks 22-game home points streak to open the season, Los Angeles was the last visiting team to win at Honda Center, taking a shootout victory Dec. 3. NOTES: The Ducks scratched forwards Daniel Winnik and Kyle Palmieri. Coach Bruce Boudreau also gave a day off to starting goalie Jonas Hiller, who acknowledged being distracted by the looming outdoor game in Tuesdays loss to Winnipeg. ... Los Angeles D Matt Greene missed his fifth straight game with an upper-body injury. ... Andersen leads the NHLs rookie goalies with 13 wins. 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